E-Mail this Article

25 ways for advisers to make their future better than their past

Jan 14, 2014 @ 9:25 am

By
Steve Sanduski

+ Zoom

The New Year is the perfect time to re-energize and make a commitment that this will be your best year yet. To aid you in your quest, here's a list of 25 insights I've learned about how to win in business and life.

If you absorb and live these, on Dec. 31, you'll look back and be thrilled with the progress you made in making a profound impact in people's lives.

1. Solve what keeps you up at night and spend more time doing what gets you up in the morning.

2. Focus on where you can make a difference so your reward is the activity itself.

3. Ask yourself this question, “If you had no fear, would you be running your business or your life exactly the way you are right now?”

4. Share fewer cold facts and more warm stories.

5. Comfort zone is an oxymoron; stay in one too long and it becomes unbearable.

6. Associate with people who can challenge you, encourage you, and help you see things and make connections that would otherwise have been lost to you.

7. Make a list of six business people and six interesting people you want to meet this year, then network your way to an introduction. Start by connecting with me on Linkedin.

8. Make sure your actions show that the most important people in your life really are.

9. The Golden Rule is still Golden.

10 Quit something that isn't working anymore so you have room to add something that will.

11. You can't inspire others if you aren't inspired yourself.

12. To create sustainable value, you must deliver what is scarce.

13. Be nicer to people and expect nothing in return; it'll make you and them feel better.

14. Don't use your bargaining advantage to your advantage because someday you won't have it.

15. Respect other people's time as much as you respect your own.

16. Add a zero to any metric you want to multiply; you'll then be forced to develop a plan to make it happen.

17. Say “I love you” to somebody every day — and mean it.

18. Smile more this year than you ever have before.

19. If you don't sweat, it's not exercise; spend more time sweating.

20. Develop morning and evening rituals that begin and end your days intentionally and consciously.

21. Don't wait for someone to ask for help, just help them when you see they need it.

22. Do something creative that you haven't done before, such as writing poetry or putting paint to canvas.

23. Care for your employees like you care for your family — because they are.

24. Become useful and indispensable by finding ways to solve more problems for more people.

25. The smallest action is worth infinitely more than the boldest intention.

Following these ideas will make a profound impact in your life and the lives of those you touch.

If you like these insights, be sure to share them with your followers. Use the comments section below and let me know which of these insights you want to focus on this year. For me, I'm focusing on 1, 3, 8, 17 and 18.

Steve Sanduski, CFP, is the president of Belay Advisor. His firm designs, builds and delivers comprehensive business solutions for companies that want to make a profound impact in people's lives. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Linkedin.